The Environment Agency has warned Brits to steer clear of select areas as flooding is expected following Storm Darragh – there are more than 150 flood alerts in place
Storm Darragh’s reign of terror continues into a second week as several dozen areas face serious flooding.
Darragh, which was named by the Met Office last week, whipped up 90mph gusts over the weekend as it made landfall in the UK, blasting every home nation and prompting a rare red warning. Pictures from across the country show its violent path, with trees left torn from their roots and cars smashed by flying debris.
The storm had largely subsided by Sunday but it has had a lasting impact, and the Environment Agency (EA) has issued dozens of flood warnings. Maps issued by the agency show England dotted with amber and red warnings after Darragh’s surges forced rivers to overflow.
The EA’s map shows that 169 communities in England are currently at risk of post-Darragh flooding, with warnings split between red and yellow. The vast majority of those warnings are yellow alerts, which cover 132 areas today. The alerts indicate flooding is “possible”.
The minority, 38, are more serious red warnings indicating flooding is “expected” in the areas where they have been issued, at present covering much of the River Severn. The west country was one of the worst-hit areas in England, with more than 1,000 homes still without power on Monday.
Data from the National Grid shows that around 35 homes in Bath and North Somerset are still experiencing power outages, 392 in Bristol and 622 in Gloucestershire. The warnings for the Severn urge people to “act now” as river levels rise, with the EA forecasting “flooding of property, roads and farmland”.
The extensive flooding across the major waterway is expected to continue until Wednesday, despite the lack of expected rainfall, and officials have urged people to keep clear of flood-hit ground. The EA warns: “Please plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers, which may be flooded and move possessions and valuables off the ground or to safety.”
Additional red flood warnings are in force in the northwest and northeast, where the rivers Derwent and Ouse have also overflowed.
